My goal for blogging every day about my listening adventures has been blown to smithereens. We went on a long trip this summer, I was (happily, at least) jolted out of my daily rhythm, when we returned I began assaulting myself with the same old aggravating questions (why are you doing this? for whom? does the world need another music blog? you do realize you ain’t got beans to say, right)–and lo and behold, we’re in September and I haven’t posted for over a week–just three-four times in the last month.

It’s not like I haven’t been listening to music:

I indulged myself and bought some physical music from the great Chicago-by-way-of-Gary electronic visionary JLin, in anticipation of her new album, Autobiography, due near the end of this month. I am normally not a big fan of so-called EDM but lordy, her sounds just hypnotize me. She’s a young master of tone, rhythmic disruption, and ugly beauty. And you can dance to her. Far as the physical media goes? I just wanted to give her more money to make music with…

As a longtime devoted fan of the multi-reed magic of James Carter, I’ve long wondered about the Texas tenor John Hardee, whose composition “Lunatic” Carter covered back when he was a wunderkind. I managed to snag the above comp, which I’d never seen before, after trying to track down a source for Fresh Sounds releases; if you still buy CDs for some reason, I recommend it to you, as it specializes in reissues that might not even be streaming, if you can imagine that. Unsurprisingly, when you lay an ear to Hardee’s playing, you can hear what attracted Carter to it: it’s confidently lubricious, cool, controlled and randy all at the same time.

Speaking of saxophone, I love unabashedly such jazz records that explore black spiritual music (David Murray’s Spiritualsand Archie Shepp’sGoin’ Home spring immediately to mind). I am an atheist, but I freely admit I get power, hope, and motivation from the best of these works. I’ve perhaps overdocumented on this blog that I think very highly of the free (but sometimes deceptively not) Poughkeepsie hornman and sensei Joe McPhee, a man whose catalog is impossible to touch the bottom of without a couple of oxygen tanks. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that McPhee released his own gospel record, nor was I surprised that it is ravishingly soulful without any compromising of the man’s improvisational principles. Whether he’s on reeds or brass–he speaks very clearly. Guess what? No YouTube. Also, I had to resort to SoulSeek. Just sayin’.

Welp, that’s it for recent listening I’m currently compelled to showcase. At least I’ve been keeping track of the albums from this calendar year that I am enjoying. We’re 67% of the way through this year, and I am going to need these releases to support me up to, through, and past the midterm elections–what records are you leaning on right now? Below are 130 LPs (we can still call them that, because they still play long) the teacher in me’d give a B+ or better. The Top 40, in bold, I’ve played over and over and tend to just get better to my earhole and soul, though a couple of recent releases (like The Necks, Mitski. and Blood Orange) I’m really just wagering that I’ll play over and over. In fact, I’m teaching (in a manner of speaking) Mitski tomorrow in my pop music/freshman comp class.

Note: I may be behind on reissues; I don’t rightly know.

Tracy Thorn: Record

Nona Hendryx and Gary Lucas: The World of Captain Beefheart

CupcaKe: Ephorize

Mary Gauthier and Songwriting with Soldier: Rifles and Rosary Beads

Sons of Kemet: Your Queen is a Reptile

Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer

Bettye LaVette: Things Have Changed

JD Allen: Love Stone

Zeal & Ardor: Stranger Fruit

Chloe x Halle: The Kids are Alright

The Internet:Hive Mind

Mitski: Be the Cowboy

Berry: Everything, Compromised

Joe McPhee: Imaginary Numbers

Lisbon Freedom Unit:Praise of Our Folly

Superchunk: What A Time to Be Alive

Young Fathers: Cocoa Sugar

Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!

Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer: Nordub

Orquesta Akokan: Orquesta Akokan

Sidi Toure: Toubalbero

Quelle Chris & Jean Grae: Everything’s Fine

No Age: Snares Like a Haircut

The Necks: Body

Grupo Mono Blanco: ¡Fandango! Sones Jarochos from Veracruz

Elza Soares: Deus É Mulher

John Prine: The Tree of Forgiveness

Blood Orange: Negro Swan

Jinx Lennon: Grow a Pair

Pusha T: Daytona

Toni Braxton: Sex & Cigarettes

Nidia: Nídia É Má, Nídia É Fudida

Subtle Degrees: A Dance That Empties

Kids See Ghosts: Kids See Ghosts

Alice Bag: Blue Print

James Brandon Lewis: Radiant Imprints

Ken Vandermark / Klaus Kugel / Mark Tokar: No-Exit Corner

Jonghyun: Poet / Artist

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Hope Downs

Ivo Perlman and Matthew Shipp: Oneness

Halu Mergia: Lalu Balu

The Thing: Again

Jeffrey Lewis: Works by Tuli Kupferberg

Bombino: Deran

Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids: An Angel Fell

Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories

Rapsody: Laila’s Wisdom

Sarayah: Feel the Vibe

Tierra Whack: Whack World

Lori McKenna: The Tree

Nas: Nasir

Speedy Ortiz: Twerp Verse

Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel

Car Seat Headrest: Twin Fantasy

Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton: Music for David Mossman

Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited

Angelika Niescier: The Berlin Concert

Beats Antique: Shadowbox

Wynton Marsalis & Friends: United We Swing–Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas

Thank you! I need to catch up with Marisa Monte and Villa-Lobos. I’m normally not given to disconsolation, but…it’s just waves. Music, books, spouse, friends…libations—have to count my blessings. Have a great day and may November bring change!

If you want to check out “Bachianas Brasileiras” I recommend the Warner Classics recording with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise conducted by Heitor Villa-Lobos himself and featuring soprano Victoria de los Angeles.

Oh yeah, Phil, you should blog as much as you can – without endangering libation time. For someone with ear & head listening problems, a list of 130 + 20 is depressingly daunting. I’ll have to ponder it. I really liked the first Fantastic Negrito and didn’t know there was a second but my enthusiasm is tempered by seeing it at 130. What did you think of the first one? Is Grant Green’s Oil Can Harry’s the one in Vancouver where I did underage drinking and danced to live soul / r&b bands in the late ’60s? I guess I could check for myself. Does J. Monae’s continued high ranking mean that you have settled your opinion of it? Michael

Hi, Michael! Sorry so slow–I’ve been quite busy. Thanks as always for reading and the encouragement. Honestly, I need to revisit the Monae soon–it’s been awhile–and I was underwhelmed by the first Fantastic Negrito album and not exactly overwhelmed by the new one. The just-released Swamp Dogg record, however, is a trip. Hope you’re doing well!

Hi Phil, no “sorry” needed. I’m holding off on the Monae until you make up your mind. You are on the opposite side of Fantastic N. from me AND Greil M.! but different strokes and I’m not staking my reputation on it. I am waiting for the right chance (confluence of time + ear / head receptivity) to take the Swamp Dogg off the table and put it in the slot. And I think I’ve been stalling a bit b/c of how much I dig so much of his work and fear that the new gift will be a letdown – so, glad to know that you are tripping on it. Total destruction, Michael